Business English Podcast · Phone & Video Calls · Episode 20

Interrupting a Senior Colleague to Correct a Dangerous Misunderstanding

The managing director mixes up two figures on a video call: how to interrupt politely but firmly before the mistake becomes a decision.

C1 · Monologue · 5 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 30 September 2026

Interrupting and Correcting a Superior on a Video Call

SceneIn a video conference, the managing director mixes up two key figures — and the wrong number would trigger an expensive mistake. A senior consultant explains how to interrupt a superior politely but firmly before the mistake becomes a decision.

0:00 / 5 Min.

Tip: listen to the episode twice before you start the test. · Worksheet (PDF)

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Thomas — Senior consultant, supply chain

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

ThomasPicture this: a video conference with the managing director, the finance team and two external auditors. The MD says, 'Our stock covers us for twelve weeks, so we can safely delay the reorder.' One problem — he has mixed up two figures from the report. The real coverage is four weeks, and he is about to announce the delay to the auditors.

ThomasThis is the moment where careers are made or quietly damaged. If you stay silent, the company makes a costly mistake on the record. If you interrupt clumsily, you embarrass a senior colleague in front of outsiders. You have roughly ten seconds to choose, and doing nothing is also a choice.Schweigen heißt: Die Firma macht einen teuren Fehler zu Protokoll.

ThomasHere is the phrase I use: 'Sorry to jump in, Martin, but may I flag a concern with that figure?' Short, respectful, and impossible to ignore. 'Sorry to jump in' signals that you know the hierarchy; 'flag a concern' signals that this is about the facts, not about winning.„Sorry to jump in“ signalisiert Respekt, „flag a concern“: Es geht um die Sache.

ThomasNotice what I did not say: not 'That's wrong', and not 'You meant four weeks, not twelve'. Never correct the person — correct the record. I continued: 'I may be looking at an older sheet, but I have four weeks of coverage here. Could we double-check the figures before we confirm the date?'Korrigieren Sie nie die Person – korrigieren Sie die Zahlen.

Thomas'I may be looking at an older sheet' sounds humble, but it is deliberate. It gives the managing director a face-saving exit: he can discover the mix-up himself instead of being caught out in front of the auditors. In my experience, senior people forgive a correction immediately — they never forgive being ambushed.

ThomasA quick vocabulary warning for German speakers, because it appears in exactly these moments: 'eventually' does not mean 'eventuell'. If you say 'We will eventually need to reorder,' you mean schließlich — in the end, for certain. For 'eventuell', say 'we will possibly need to reorder' or 'we may need to reorder'.„Eventually“ = schließlich; „eventuell“ = possibly / may.

ThomasBack to the call. The MD checked his report, found the mix-up, and corrected himself in front of the auditors: 'I stand corrected — we will possibly need to reorder within the month.' The decision was safe. Afterwards he thanked me privately, and our working relationship actually improved.

ThomasIf you can't get a word in — some calls move fast — use the chat or a private message to the chair: 'I have a concern about the twelve-week figure — can we pause on that?' Writing it down creates a record and forces the point onto the agenda without a public showdown.Kein Redebeitrag möglich? Per Chat an den Moderator – das schafft eine schriftliche Spur.

ThomasSo the sequence is: flag a concern, correct the record, offer a face-saving exit, and follow up privately afterwards. Interrupting a senior colleague feels risky, but a dangerous misunderstanding left uncorrected is far riskier — for the project, and honestly, for you.

Key phrases

Sorry to jump in

polite phrase to interrupt someone in a meeting

Sorry to jump in, but the deadline has just changed.

to flag a concern

to politely raise a worry about something

May I flag a concern with the delivery date?

to correct the record

to fix wrong information, not the person

Let me correct the record on the sales figures.

a face-saving exit

a way out that lets someone keep their dignity

She gave the director a face-saving exit by blaming the old report.

to double-check the figures

to verify the numbers twice before deciding

Before we sign, let's double-check the figures one last time.

a costly mistake

an error that costs money

Ordering too late would be a costly mistake.

a misunderstanding

a situation where someone understands something wrongly

The delay was caused by a simple misunderstanding about the date.

a mix-up

a confusion of two similar things

There was a mix-up between the two delivery addresses.

Language notes

In a video conference, the managing director mixes up the stock coverage — twelve weeks instead of four — and is about to announce the mistake in front of external auditors. A senior consultant shows how to interrupt politely, correct the figure and leave the superior a face-saving exit — including the "eventuell" ≠ "eventually" trap (level C1).

Interrupting politely without attacking

The technique has three parts: the opener "Sorry to jump in", which signals respect for the hierarchy, the actual request "may I flag a concern with that figure?", which targets the facts, and the face-saving offer "I may be looking at an older sheet". The key principle is "correct the record, not the person": you correct the number, never the human being. Phrases like "That's wrong" turn a rescue into an attack — and with external guests present, into a public shaming.

Hierarchy and face: Germany ↔ the Anglo-American world

In German conferences the style swings between two extremes: very direct correction ("That is not right") or complete silence out of respect for hierarchy. The Anglo-American style expects a third way: if you spot an error, you must raise it — silence reads as agreement, or even shared responsibility. But the correction is wrapped in softeners and always comes with an exit that lets the senior "discover" the mistake themselves. The result: the error is fixed and the relationship is intact.

Eventuell is not "eventually"

In critical moments, German speakers slip out an "eventually" when they mean "eventuell" — turning a possibility into a certainty: "We will eventually need to reorder" means "We will have to reorder in the end", not "perhaps". For "eventuell" use "possibly", "potentially" or "may". Memory aid: "Eventually = in the end; eventuell = perhaps." In negotiations, this single difference can cost you commitments you never meant to make.

Keep practising: Learn business English online — with real teachers from Simmonds, since 2004.

Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level C1 (CEFR). The monologue uses nuanced, idiomatic business English; the vocabulary list explains all eight key phrases bilingually.

How do I interrupt a superior politely in English?

In three steps: open with "Sorry to jump in", raise the concern with "May I flag a concern with that figure?" and offer a face-saving exit such as "I may be looking at an older sheet" — correct the figure, never the person.

Is there a transcript to read along?

Yes, the full transcript with German support notes is on this page — listen first, then take the test, then read along.

Where can I train difficult conversation situations in English?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services: live lessons with real teachers on Zoom, for companies and individuals across Germany — since 2004. Find out which course fits your level in a free consultation: englisch-lehrer.com/online.

Are the voices real?

Episodes are produced with high-quality AI voices (Hume) and editorially reviewed by our trainer team — the same method as our interactive lessons.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

The podcast trains your ear — in our online lessons you practise the conversation yourself, with real teachers. For companies across Germany since 2004.

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